Do you have a child who never sits still? Are you exhausted just trying to get your little one to stop moving long enough to eat his dinner? If so, stop trying!

When my second child was a preschooler, she ate her dinner in a semi-standing position, kneeling on her chair with one leg, and standing on the floor with the other. At the sound of the telephone's ring, she immediately ran to answer it. When the doorbell rang, she was the first to greet the visitor. Between meals, she coursed, she cartwheeled, and she climbed. All of my attempts to get her to sit still ended up in frustration--both on my part and hers.

After struggling with the situation for quite a while, I decided to work with my daughter's need for movement instead of against it. In so doing, I tapped into her unique method of learning: kinesthetic (or physical learning), also referred to as Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence. (I should have known my daughter was a kinesthetic learner when, during my pregnancy, she was so active in the womb that my obstetrician thought she was twins!)

Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence

This is one of Harvard Professor Howard Gardner's eight defined intelligences, or natural modalities, by which children learn, as defined in his famous "Theory of Multiple Intelligences". The child whose learning type is primarily kinesthetic possesses an intuitive understanding of how to use his physical body and an inner need to explore his world by interacting with space. Such interaction involves movement that, to a parent of a different learning modality, sometimes comes across as misbehavior. In reality, however, the kinesthetic child is simply moving in order to learn.

The kinesthetic learner processes information primarily through touching and movement. Gymnasts, dancers, and athletes fall into this category, as do those who learn through the movement and use of smaller muscle groups.

If you are the parent of a kinesthetic learner, you can help your child to achieve his full potential and help keep your sanity at the same time. Here are some helpful tips:

• Provide a touchable environment for your preschooler. Kinesthetic learners love to touch anything and everything in sight. Make sure that what your child may touch will not hurt him in any way. For a great family trip if you live in or visit the United States, I recommend the Please Touch museum located in Philadelphia. Your kinesthetic learner will have the time of his life exploring and touching the delightful exhibits.
• Give your child lots of safe space for moving around. Remember that a child gifted with bodily-kinesthetic intelligence learns by interacting with the space around him.
• Encourage your child to participate in movement-oriented activities such as gymnastics, ballet, and sports. Such activities promote learning through spatial interaction and bodily movement in addition to building self-confidence.
• Put on plays and skits with your child. Drama involves movement and space, two chief needs of kinesthetic learners. Some of the plays my daughter and her friends wrote and performed not only provided her with wonderful learning experiences but also helped her forge lasting memories of hilarious fun.
• Teach your child how to use his small motor skills. Some kinesthetic learners prefer smaller areas of space for touching and fine motor movement. Crafts, such as stringing beads, weaving, and cutting out paper shapes, offer these children opportunities to explore their world while creating objects of beauty that may last a lifetime.

One Word of Caution, However

Raising your bodily-kinesthetic child according to his unique learning modality does not mean allowing him to do whatever he wants whenever he wants. On the contrary, the bodily-kinesthetic child, like all children, needs to learn obedience to authority. He needs to learn that there are times when he must sit still whether he wants to or not.

Wise parents will teach their bodily-kinesthetic child that inner discipline is essential to a happy life. To quote the Bible, "train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it" (Proverbs 22:6).

For you moms who are still wondering if your child will ever sit still long enough for you to catch your breath, let me encourage you. Today my precious daughter is a distance runner. But the best news is that she has finally learned to sit at the table for an entire meal!

Dr. Mary Ann Diorio is an award-winning poet, novelist, and teacher of writing. Her several hundred works--including articles, short stories, and poems--have appeared in over 100 publications. She is the author of "Selling Yourself on You." Dr. Diorio is married and the mother of two grown daughters.